Everyday I'm Vloggin'

Last month, I decided to do something new and take on the task of doing daily vlogs on my other channel "Vidvixvlogs" for the whole month, which I respectfully called "Vlog All May." On Youtube, there are many channels whose main focus is to post daily vlogs of themselves talking about their awesome day or something new in their lives. When I thought of doing this, I first thought of what would I talk about. I don't exactly describe my life as eventful; nonetheless, on May 1st, I posted my first day of this month long series.

DAY 1


Before I started this, I would hardly vlog, mostly due to me forgetting or not having anything to talk about. As the month went on, I found that it was easy to just pick up my phone and just talk about what was on my mind. I discovered that I had more to talk about then I had thought. Thirty days, and a scruffy beard later, I got through the month, happy with completing my goal.

DAY 31


It amazing what you can find out about yourself when you share each day with an audience. You go through the good and the bad and everyone hears about it. It's a modern day version of "The Truman Show," except you know when the cameras are rolling and there's no 24/7 loop. I don't know if I will be doing something like this again, but I do know now that each day is unique and worth sharing.  Life is never really boring, it's just a matter of seeing it through a different lens.

-Video Vix[o]n

Finding Your "Gratitude"

This video comes from the visual genius which is Joe Nation. He used old footage from things he shot throughout the past year to express the "beautiful things in this life, big and small." I've always admired Joe for his video skills, but he does bring up a good point about being grateful for the things in life. Outside of being able to wake up everyday, I always have to remind myself of what I'm grateful for:

-When it comes to my video work, I'm grateful for the resources I have, what I'm capable of, what I've accomplished, especially with my short film series, #VideoDictionary. There was a time where I wasn't sure of my professional direction and I never felt confident in what I was good at.

-I'm grateful for Youtube being the platform I can use to share my work and show others what I can do. Without it, I wouldn't be able to show off who I am as a content creator, and now a Youtube partner.

-All of my subscribers, especially those who continue to support my videos and show support for my work.

-My family and friends who understand what I do when I am always out and about, shooting a video or producing content.

-My new (part-time) job, which I'm starting to feel comfortable with. Being out of a job for a while made me feel incompetent, but my co-workers have welcomed me well and now I feel capable of accomplishing anything on the job.  

We should all take more time to being grateful for what we have and what we've accomplished in our lives. We tend to focus on what we don't have and makes those things overshadow the good things. I'm being more positive these days and this video was a nice reminder of staying grateful. Are you grateful for what you have?

-Video Vix[o]n

(Video) Resume Building

In my journey to finding a job in the corporate world, I've ran into dead end after dead end from not receiving any responses for job offers. This has lead to me being discouraged and a bit depressed (which is a reason for my lack in blogging, on top of laziness). I was reaching the end of my desperation when I realized that I have the tools necessary to give myself a creative and competitive edge in the job application process; a video resume. Here's what I came up with:



I realized that when applying for jobs, I was just another sheet of paper on the heap of  resume one poor soul must sift through in order to find the right candidate. With this visual representation of myself, employers know exactly what they're getting; a young man with enough experience and drive to work hard and become an asset to one's company. If they do choose to watch it, then it's up to them to decide if I have the right look and attitude for their business, something they couldn't do by just reading my name and previous work experience.

I don't know why I didn't come up with the idea before. I guess I never considered that my professional and personal realms can collide. From the interviews I've had in the past, I've always avoided mentioning my interest in video production to not alert potential employers that I have a deeper involvement in something else besides their business. It's sad that I have to through my passion under the bus in order to seem more invested in another person's vision. But, for me, the most important thing is to secure a position and work hard for a paycheck, which in these hard economic times, I'm okay with. There is always going to be a way to either incorporate or fit in my video work outside of work hours.

Ideally, if I had a choice, I wouldn't dismiss trying to finding a "9 to 5" and continue to be a starving artist, reaching for my goal, but I have to be realistic about my current situation and find a way to support my desires monetarily, while not sacrificing my dreams to the corporate realm. It all comes down to balance. If this video resume gives me the advantage to tip the scales, then consider me employed sooner then you think.

-Video Vix[o]n

Keeping Busy (As Can Be)

I know I haven't blogged in a bit, but that is only due to real world issues getting in the way, such as me applying to become a PCT (Police Communications Technician). Ironically, I made a video a while back poking fun at being a PCT, which became pretty popular.



Seeing that I will be working for the NYPD, they need to do a thorough investigation of my background and records, which will mean if I even sneeze close to an officer, they would know all about me, which I don't feel too comfortable with, but the job does supply benefits, so my complaining can only go so far.

Meanwhile, I've been trying to keep busy with other video related work, such as working close with the R&B artist Tanya T6 during a recent music video shoot, where I shot some behind the scenes action.



Keeping up the relationship with this artist has been good because she makes sure to compensate me for my time, as well as I can hook her up with great looking footage and content; a win-win relationship which I know will last until I possibly start working. Other than that, there is nothing too much to report other than working on the "Video Dictionary" series, which is coming along slowly, but surely. I may not be producing as much content as I use to, but I'm proud of what I've done and what I will do in the near future. Until then, I will continue to work hard and find inspiration around me, like these images I saw at a museum recently.

-Video Vix[o]n

On Top Of Things

In my filmmaking endeavors, I have encountered few people who share my passion for video production as much as I have. In college, I knew people who wanted to come together and make some content, resulting in some end products that I were and weren't proud of. Today, I reconnected with one of those people and she reminded me of why I got into video production in the first place.

Standing on that rooftop made me realize that there is more to life out there that what I'm familiar with. For the most part, I know a few people, in my field, who have the same passion and drive to work on and accomplish their goals. Most of the residents in Bushwick, Brooklyn display the ideal of the "aspiring artist;" a person who just wants to leave their creative footprint in the cement of our culture. For that one moment, I looked out to the amazing sunset before me and realized I'm not alone in this journey.

Meeting people is one of the perks I enjoy when pursuing this passion of filmmaking. Hearing the thoughts of like-minded who think of the impossible becoming possible and the most strange becoming the most real is refreshing. In the world of video production, people's thoughts are able to come to life, and working together with others who understand the possibility of that happening are the people to keep close as you travel on that journey. I can't say that re-connecting with a friend means I'll be creating films left and right, like a production house, but it does replenish my hopes that there are others out there, like me, who believe in creating the possible through film. 

As I continue to meet others who are willing to create something amazing through the lens of a camera, I hope I can take something from these newfound contacts and apply them to my ultimate goal to create something awesome and be noticed by others who will feel the motivation to do something awesome themselves.

-Video Vix[o]n

New Year, Same Blog?

Who blogs anymore?

The answer is not me.

Since 2008, I've been blogging on this site and there have only been so much things that I have shared with my audience. I have stated before that my blog was more popular back in the day than it is now. These days, it's sparingly the main "hub" for everything "Video Vix[o]n". As the new year rolls in, I don't want to make that annual promise of "blogging more" because I feel I would be lying to myself. Each year, I look at the number of posts I've done and it gets lower and lower. Soon, I'll be posting a post per month and that is not what I want. Some restructuring is in order.

Honestly, it's not that there's something wrong with this blog, it's just all over the place. I barely post about anything video-related and it more personal; not even a healthy balance. So I look at Blogger and I see the "delete blog" button and a decision must be made; delete three years of blogging to start a new or build on this sinking ship and attempt to regain a healthy audience?

I'm always a fan of doing new things for the new year. Call me cheesy, but I think it's human condition to wait for a period of beginning to start something fresh; like the start of a new year or the beginning of a season. To me, the key to a successful blog is consistency and engagement. I have failed to do both and for me to try and regain these key components on top of old content just seems sloppy.

I think another thing is I am more prone to grab a camera and talk about what is happening than write about it. Could be due to laziness or not reading as much as I use to? I'm not sure what it is, but I'm sure that some change is definitely in order. I need some time to contemplate my decision, but no matter what I do, "vdeovxn.com" will still remain (considering I bought the domain) and I will make sure to make a good decision for the sake of getting back into the groove of things. Like every good show on television these days, stay tuned to see if this blog will be cancelled or up for another season. In the meanwhile, watch my latest vlog about having an "UP" attitude.

-Video Vix[o]n

I'm Thankful For...

-Having a job (even though it's seasonal part-time and it only lasts for one more month).

-My birthday coming up soon. I'm turning another year old in this crazy world. 

-My family, who supports me and makes sure that I don't struggle or nothing bad happens to me.

-My close friends, who make me happy and help to steer me in the right direction of success in my life, professionally and personally. 

-My cameras (Flip and Canon), which I have used to make some of my best videos on Youtube.

-My brother, who I can talk to and helps me stay sane when my own thoughts make me feel crazy. 

-My music that acts as a soundtrack to my life and uplifts my spirit, or helps me relax. 

-Delicious food that I eat which inspires me to cook more. 

-My mom, who makes me laugh even when I feel at my worst. 

-My girlfriend, who supports me and is by my side at each step.

-Youtube, which has become my stage to share my thoughts and ideas visually to the largest audience in the world. 

-My cousin, Hank, who makes me feel like the coolest dude on the block. 

-Another Thanksgiving past; another reason to spend time with family and loved ones. 

Happy (Belated) Thanksgiving

-Video Vix[o]n

No Money, Mo' Problems

The title to this song seems to contradict itself because more money would mean less problems for me, especially these days.

I recently spent a lot on my father's recent credit card bill. As with all of my outlandish spending sprees, he addressed me about it. Usually, the convo would go like this:

INT. - BEDROOM - DAY

Vixon is on the computer, when his father walks in with an envelope and some papers in hand.

Dad

Vixon, have you see the bill? (X amount).

Vixon

(surprised)

What?

(takes bill from Dad, looks at total)

Dad

I keep telling you (not to use your phone during the day/

use the credit card only for emergencies)

Vixon

Okay, (I'll use my computer to make calls more/ I won't use the credit card as much)

(hands bill back to Dad)

At this point, my Dad would walk out the room and we both knew what would happen next; he would plan to pay off the bill and I would briefly think about not overusing again. This time around, my father started off with "Vixon, you're going to put me in an early grave." I've never heard my father say that before. I always cringe at the thought of my father's untimely (but inevitable) demise, but him mentioning that because of finances is another story. Granted, he wasn't being serious, but he did catch my full attention with that statement. He showed me the credit card bill and (though I won't share the amount) it's a good deal of money that someone without a job shouldn't be spending.

I felt bad (obviously not bad when my hand got use to pulling out the card and watching the swiping spree commence) because I was negligent and careless in my spending habits. If I was using my debit card (aka my own money), I would be mentally tracking how much money I have and how much each expense is worth so that I don't overspend. I will admit, after the conversation, I thought that everything would be as it were and the bill will be "handled," but after sharing with my friends what I've done, they strongly suggested I pay my father back what I spent. Usually, that thought would sound ridiculous, but they had a point. For a long time (aka all my life), I have allowed myself to be covered for things I would do and not take responsibility, especially financial trouble. I always had my father there to bail me out. This time, I need to show my father and myself that I must start paying what I owe in life.

I plan to pay back my father the full amount with my first few paychecks. Knowing my father, he may decline the offer and we'd have to have a talk about this, but I'm not going to give up until he takes the money. It's all about establishing some principles and becoming more of an adult. Giving away that money won't feel great, but I created the situation and I must pay my way out of it. Nothing says I'm ready to grow up than to start paying up.

-Video Vix[o]n

Am I Troy Davis?

Wednesday, September 21st, 11:08 p.m.

An innocent man died. Troy Davis. He was set for execution for the alleged murder of a cop back in the late 80s and last night, he supposedly paid for it.

I didn't follow this story much. Quite honestly, I'm not too well versed on the news these days, but this story is just unfortunate. Twitter was all the rage for the execution of this innocent man in Georgia and the Supreme Court, the "highest court in the land" didn't stop it. A crowd gathered outside of the prison for his defense; a large group of African-Americans that realized the evidence wasn't there, the testimonies invalid and the crime fabricated. I was watching CNN to hear the crowds cheer around 7:00 pm; the time he was supposed to be executed, for the Stay of Execution passed by the Supreme Court to review the case. Nobody expected four hours and eight minutes later that their hopes would be executed along with Troy.

The thing about social media is that it has a bandwagon-like behavior to it. Everyone on Twitter and Facebook was rightfully disgusted, as well they should have been. I'm not saying people being angry and upset about the execution was exaggerating just to receive affirmation from their other friends who are upset. I'm saying sometimes people aren't aware of stories like these, or are uninformed about the issues and when things start getting real, they are quick to say that things are messed up and it's not fair. This was the status I put up on Facebook last night:

"Though I don't know much about the Troy Davis case, it is sad to hear about injustice. It reminds me of Mumia Abu-Jamal; innocent black men trailed and even put to death for something they didn't do. The law is definitely not on our side. I could be like everyone else and say Troy created an example of us all waking up, but even with our eyes open, these injustices still occur. Don't wake up, be alert. RIJ (Rest In Justice) Troy Davis"

I didn't post this status because I wanted to be like most of my friends on my FB timeline, this is genuinely how I feel about the case. A lot of other people started to claim that "I am Troy Davis." The same quote occurred when Sean Bell was brutally shot and killed by police officers. I don't know how to feel about this statement. I know it means that anyone of us (in particular, African-American males) could have been in Davis' shoes, but at the same time, would anyone have changed to Troy Davis if the execution was cancelled?

It seems that we all connect to some who is not being treated fairly and we try to personalize the tragedy by saying we are in the person's shoes. If that is the case, everyday while he was in jail, we should have been him; when he was on trial, we should have been Troy Davis, not just when he gets executed by a crooked justice system. As African-Americans, we are all at risk of being persecuted for a crime we didn't commit. As I mentioned in my FB status, Mumia Abu-Jamal (if you don't know who he is, Google him) is still on death row for a crime he didn't commit. Nobody seems to be claiming to be him unless he gets executed.

The whole point of this point is that as awake as we can be to the justice system in America, which is not on our side, we must be more alert to the monstrosities occurring and figure out a way to combat it. Unfortunately, the system has been corrupted for years. So to answer my question, I am NOT Troy Davis; I am a man who can potentially be next.

-Video Vix[o]n

Going Places

Yesterday, I had another chance to get out the house and create some content with Joshen, and to my surprise, being out and about resulted in gathering much attention. Throughout the day, we've been approached by multiple people, including an influential community leader who invited us to speak to some young people around our age about alternate career paths outside of "basketball and rapping." It made me feel good because I rarely consider what I do to be an alternate career choice; just something that I decided to do with my life. It's like my camera is Mjolnir (the hammer), and I am Thor. My camera basically gives me my power.

I've said that I should carry about my camera to more places to get attention and after yesterday, I realize that if Youtube were real, I would have gotten about 3-4 subs by people just asking what I do. Joshen and I are constantly figuring out ways to expand our audience and sometime we forget that the biggest social network is right outside our doors. It's funny how everyone who approached us asked if we were students working on a project because it seems the only accepted way you can be involved in videography is if you're a film major at a fancy film school (no offense to any film majors in any fancy film school/programs). One idea we had was to shoot our weekly shows in different locations to gather an audience and generate attention, which I will definitely keep in mind in my future video endeavors.

I know not everything I produce is going to be a hit or any idea I have won't be executed well, but I can succeed at getting my face out there and making people notice me more, so when I do make good videos, people will look out for me. Everyone else seems to be going places, I just have to go somewhere close by to make a huge difference.

-Video Vix[o]n

Switching It Up

It comes a time in every person's life when change is mandatory. For me, hopefully, that time is approaching soon. I am currently unemployed and that equals not having any money. On Tuesday, I had an interview for a Video Producer position at a business technology company and I hope that works out. Ironically, I don't like working because it takes away from my video-making process, but I need money in order to produce better videos. Outside of that, when it comes to Youtube, I'm constantly thinking of ways to optimize my content and gain more subscribers. It isn't easy because it involves reaching out to multiple avenues and sharing what I produce. Thanks to Google+, I have another medium to share my content (If you're not on Google+, let me know and I can send you an invite with your email).

In the spirit of switching things up, I made a new segment on my channel called "Vdeo Clips."



I thought that a weekly show should keep people watching my channel and hopefully, I can gain more subscribers and exposure. A good Youtube buddy of mine advises to be active in the community and that's what I plan to do. I have a new weekly schedule of content production that I followed this week and it seemed to be a good work flow. I know it's a slow road to success, but I have no intentions of getting off at any exit anytime soon. These days, I have no other choice but to make it and organization is key to making that happen. Things have been at a low point and they're gradually coming up. I just hope that momentum keeps going.

-Video Vixon

Life's A Game

"Life's a _____"

I know everyone can easily fill in this blank with your favorite noun (I know you're leaning towards "bitch" because it just rolls off the tongue, lol.) I always have fun with filling in this blank because it's my time to get creative with analogies, like I would say "Life's a poker game, and there's no way I'm pulling a straight flush on the first draw" or "Life's a friend who hasn't paid me my money back from that favor I did for them months ago." I've recently been using the phrase, "Life's a movie" because it just went with my whole filmmaking theme, but these days, I feel like life is more of a game; board game to be exact.

Why a board game? It just seems appropriate. Everything these days seem to rely on chance and the role of a die. Looking for work is no easy task and landing one is definitely by luck. Though I don't want to re-enter the corporate environment too quickly, my funds are dwindling and I have to be realistic about my situation. I really have to put this Youtube grind on the forefront because I realize being a partner would change everything. And like the board game, I still have to pay off these college loans for me to even be able to get in the lead. Then again, I kind of wish you could roll your way out of different scenarios in life. I seem to constantly be landing on real life spaces, where I have to jump through hoops in order to advance. The only way I can see me winning is achieving the goals I have set for myself and staying focused. Granted, I could try to cheat my way out, but that wouldn't be fair to myself. When I win at this game, I want to know that I overcame all the odds before me in order to reach the finish.

Isn't that the real goal in the game of life? To get to the end and scream "I WIN!"? I'm waiting for that day. Oh, I got to go, it's my turn to roll...

-Video Vix[o]n

My Conscious, Revisited

A little over a year ago, I made a short about myself and how I was feeling called All By My Conscious Self. There was a lot going on with me back then and the only way I could express myself was by making a video. It came off emo and deep, but it captured who I was. When I posted it, people reacted to it and one person replied that it seemed like there was going to be a second part to it. At the time, I wasn't planning on a second part. It was suppose to be a stand alone piece just for my audience to get a glimpse of what was going on in my life and a visual look of my conscience going at each other. With all the events happening with me lately, something told me that I needed to go back to that place in my head where the creative met the emotional.
With everything that was happening to me in the past few weeks, I felt everything that I touched or tried to influence was backfiring on me. I bottled up my emotions because I thought those type of things only happen to me and I just accepted it. But what really broke me was when I trusted a decision I made to a loved one and they reacted adversely to it. The details are too much to go into, but basically I felt stupid for making a decision for myself, which lead to a rabbit hole of thoughts; I am irresponsible, I make dumb decisions, I can never free myself from the influence of others. I was a mess. I cried. I felt powerless. Added on to the fact that my internet connection stopped working at home, it was hard to communicate with the outside world what I was going through and the only person that I cried out for wasn't around.
I knew this video would be the only way I could find to deal with my feelings, let them out, and become stronger to move on. I just so happened to be sick when I shot everything. The storyline with my clone and my bad conscience fighting myself and everything else came to me automatically; I didn't write a script for it or anything, just shot. When it was all done, I put all of my energy into the editing process and it all felt so new. I put all that I could into the video and I think that's why it came out as good as it did. A piece of me is in this video and it definitely shows.
What I took from this video is I'm the only person who is going to make something happen for myself. I shouldn't make other peoples' feelings or opinions stop me from doing what I feel is right. It's not fair and I know that I would never do that to anyone else, so I could only think what makes people want to do that to me? At this point, I'm going in a little to deep, but basically, I can only move on from this video and do better things. I only hope that the events in my life won't push me to make a third addition to this unexpected series. But hey, that's what happens when you're all by your conscious self.
-Video Vix[o]n

New Year, Reel Life

(If this is your first time reading my blog, then you haven't missed much. If you're a returning reader, welcome back... you've been missed)

New Year's are always suppose to be about restarting, refreshing and renewing. For me, all of this is happening, but not the way I planned it. This is how I spent my New Year's.



I've been running into some technical issues when it comes to my equipment; my Macbook crashed on me and a piece of my camcorder is broken. My technical issues reminded me of my financial issues, lack of finances. All of these roadblocks have put a damper on my mood and my motivation to continue. It's the feeling of everything crumbling around you and having the choices of "fight or flight." I want to fly so bad, but I feel I'm being tested in a way. A test of my endurance to pursue what I want, despite the hardships. The power of overcoming struggle and finding the support of others nearby.

This week, I was suppose to be releasing my comeback video from my 2 week break. During this break, I was suppose to write scripts, organize my calender of videos to come and other projects. Now that those two weeks are over, I have produced nothing new. I had an idea of a video that i recycled, but that would have been cheating myself; releasing old video fodder just to be consistent is not a good way of providing good content. Instead, the only thing I have to show from my hiatus is my professional video reel.



This reel sums up all the work I have done in the past two years. It's crazy how I could wrap all of this into a 5 minute package, but I am proud of it. All I can do from here is expand on what I've done and become better. Until I purchase my new camera, I will resort to minimal video work and mainly video editing. I'm still looking for work and I don't know when I will blog again, but now sitting here writing this, I don't want this blog to become my emotional dumping ground. Instead this should become the center of what I do, I've done and what I will do in the future.

*Raises glass* Here's to 2011... my new confidant. May you not betray me.

-Video Vix[o]n

I Blog, So Therefore I Am?

I really took my time to look at my blog and I realize that I don't treat it very well.

It's like a child that I neglect and when it needs food, I feed it every so often.

I have to remember why I started blogging. I actually made a vlog taking about it a little while ago.

I know why I started blogging; I discovered something I was finally good at and I wanted to share it with the world. I was Video Vix[o]n. Things were going well, I was showing off what I have done, cool videos I found, getting a little personal and addressing other issues and topics that are important to me. Sometimes I did fall off, but I always climbed back on. Now, these days, seeing that I gotten more involved with Youtube, I don't know exactly how to incorporate my blog into my "empire." Probably it should become a place where I share everything else beside my video life. Just some more insight into who Video Vix[o]n is and what I think about. Or it could be a written version of my vlogs, which I don't make for video sake; they're really therapeutic. I need to take time to remember why I'm doing this. So this blog of mines is a constant project. I remember when I used to get comments on what I posted, now there's no feedback. I want to go back to when blogging was my outlet. So that's what I will do. It will take some patience to discover why I'm doing this. My motto these days are not to rush something great. So I will respectfully take my time to make my blog what I want it to be again. Progress takes patience.

Speaking of trying to complete projects, check out my latest vlog.

-Video Vix[o]n